


An Impossible Task

by infiniteworld8



Category: Z Nation (TV)
Genre: 10K feels, Angst, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Guilt, Sacrifice, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-19
Updated: 2015-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-21 02:52:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4812221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infiniteworld8/pseuds/infiniteworld8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cassandra saved them in the research facility...and they left her behind to die...not once but twice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Impossible Task

It all happened to fast. One moment they were standing in the lab, guns trained on them and 10K knew he didn't have a prayer in the world of taking out the men that ringed them before they were shot. That still didn't stop his hand from inching towards the trigger anyway.

_Because one thing that the Z-apocalypse had taught him was it was better to die on your feet than let someone or something else take you down._

He didn't fear death, but he did fear becoming a Z, and he doubted the crazed scientist standing in front of them would have the common decency to kill them outright. Too many times he had seen people killed but not given the mercy of a headshot. Instead whatever, sick twisted person who had killed them had left them to turn. Another addition to a dead army that already outnumbered the remnants of humanity. And after what he had seen of the rotting torso that was all that remained of the researcher he was even more scared. A sentient Z...was there a worser fate?

Before he could react, the door flew open. And impossibly--miraculously Cassandra was there. Except it wasn't her. Her eyes had changed, her face seemed different, but for one moment their gazes connected and he knew. Cassandra may have changed...into what he didn't know...but she was still Cassandra.

Then she was on the solider with all the single mindness of a human and the ferocity of a Z.  _Something different...a hybrid._  The thought was at the back of his mind but it wasn't important because Doc was shot. 

Cassandra held the soldiers off so they could escape...and 10K shouldered the burden of Doc's weight. Blood leaking out the bullet wounds  past his fingers as he followed Warren outside. The van was still waiting, but they were to close. Time was running out.

10K could imagine the nukes streaking across the sky converging on there position. It would only be a few seconds...they wouldn't even realise they were dead. Instant vaporization...at least they didn't need to be worried about being left half alive to turn into the walking dead. 

That was no consolation at all. In the span of a few minutes everything had fallen apart. Murphy was gone...Doc was dying...Cassandra was...

10K looked back and felt all the blood drain from his face. Cassandra was still there.  _He had promised her and he had lied._ He had left her behind, not once, but twice.

The compound was starting to self destruct, plumes of dust rising and flames licking the sky. It was too hazy to see anything, and there was no way she had gotten out in time...but 10K imagined he could see a flicker of movement in the smoke.

_Cassandra._

He whispered her name , begging with every fibre of his being for her to appear. 

It wasn't to be, the van rounded a corner, and in the distance 10K heard explosions as the failsafes at the research facility kicked in. 

Cassandra was gone, she had sacrificed herself to save them...she had sacrificed herself to save _him_.

Once again he had failed. Failed to save her just like he had failed to save his father. No matter how many bullets he fired, impossible shots he made, the outcome was the same. Everyone he had come to know and care about were once again, dead or soon to be.

Killing Z's wasn't enough when he couldn't even save the ones he loved.


End file.
